At the recent 36th Annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona, two classic Ford and Carroll Shelby vehicles was one of the auctioned products that obtained the highest bids at the event.

The 1966 427 Cobra Super Snake, which is Carroll Shelby’s personal Super Snake caught the attention of bidders and other visitors at Barrett-Jackson. Mark Fields, President of Ford, The Americas, officiated the auction and a vintage car collector from Chandler, Arizona named Ron Pratt won the bid and bagged Carroll Shelby’s personal 1966 427 Cobra Super Snake for $5.5 million, which is the highest bid ever made at this year’s Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction. Whoa! You can purchase about 183 units of brand new Ford Mustang with that price!

Meanwhile, Carroll Shelby said good-bye to his personal Cobra Super Snake and commented:
"I wanted it to be the fastest, meanest car on the road. Forty years later, it will still kick the tail of just about anything in the world. It's the fastest street legal Cobra I've ever owned."

Along with the 1966 427 Cobra Super Snake, Ron Pratt also won the bid for the 2007 Shelby GT Mustang for $600,000. All proceeds from the 36th Annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction will be given to Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation. Another Ford-powered vehicle sold at the auction includes the 1932 Dearborn Deuce, the first ever mass-produced vehicle with a V8 engine installed. The car got a winning bid of $330,000.

"We're certainly excited about this year's auction results because it says there's true demand for our products and for the Mustang brand." said Robert Parker, Ford Car Marketing Manager.

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So what exactly is the Ford Motor Company's Flexible Series Hybrid Edge?

Well, according to the auto maker from Dearborn, this is actually their new hybrid system that is quite innovative and allows the owner of the vehicle to charge up their cars by just plugging it into a normal socket. Yes, you read that right. You plug it in and then you can use up your vehicle.

This hybrid system has already been used by the company. Of course, with a concept vehicle first. But the company did claim that when this system is used, the vehicle would now be having zero emissions which is very good for the environment. The company, however, did not quite say what kind of vehicle it is that they used the system with nor did they mention if the vehicle would also be using unique carburetors or if the vehicle would still be equipped with catalytic converters.

Such a new system is actually the start of future automobile technologies. And sure enough, if more and more vehicles would be using this system, more and more vehicles would be more efficient and would give consumers more alternatives.

Yes, yes, yes, along with the excellent Ford parts, the next generation Ford F-150 will get a six-speed transmission.

Automotive News it isn’t clear yet whether or not it will be standard equipment for the bestselling truck, but it definitely will be available one way or another.

It's really no surprise since the new Toyota Tundra offers the six-speed. You wouldn’t want to get behind the competition at this time.

In 2008, the Ford Focus will be coming with its third Skin. This is according to announcement released by the company. The revamped version is now wearing a version of Ford’s three-bar grille which would be flanked by geometric headlamps. The beltline was slightly raised up for a more dramatic ride. Aside from this dramatic make over, the new car would also come with a high trunk and a set of new 17-inch high yet trendy fenders.

For its source of power, the vehicle comes with an engine that is a powerful 151-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder unit. This is embedded on the new breed leaving only the tried-and-true 136-hp 2.0-liter that will be PZEV rated in the green states. Plus, customers can choose between a five speed manual and a four speed automatic. There are also new shocks, spring rates, stabilizer bars, and bushings to complete the dramatic make over. Additional Ford body parts and accessories such as the side thorax and curtain air bags are also installed for safety standard.

And you know what the best part is? It will be the first Ford baby to receive the Ford Sync. This is a music player and a communication gadget all in one system. It enables the driver to make calls or entertain calls even while driving. There is the option of choosing between hands-free or voice activated calls. It can even read your text messages with just a push of a button. For music lovers, you will enjoy this system as it can play all your favorite songs saved on your MP3 player or your precious iPod.

Ford Motor Company has recently announced that it had invested a total of $886 million in six plants in Southern Michigan for the flexible manufacturing and advanced production of new powertrain components. Ford is also developing new transmissions to some selected Ford-branded models.

“Our turnaround in North America and our return to profitability is based on strategic investment, not just cost cutting. With this investment, we're expanding our commitment to small cars, producing fuel-efficient powertrains and fortifying our truck leadership.” said Mark Fields, President, The Americas, Ford Motor Company.

Governor of the state of Michigan, Jennifer M. Granholm also commented:
“The state is pleased to partner with one of our major auto manufacturers to provide the leadership and creativity that will retain jobs in Michigan. Ford's commitment to flexible manufacturing, designing and producing the vehicles that people want and solidifying their market leadership in truck manufacturing bodes well for Michigan's economy in the immediate future.”

Here is the list of Ford Motor Company’s latest investment:

* Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant received $130 million for tooling and equipment to build the all-new 2008 Ford Focus, which has been redesigned inside and out.

* Van Dyke Transmission Plant received $320 million to install a flexible machining line to assemble a fuel-efficient, high performance 6-speed, front-wheel drive transmission for the next generation Ford Escape.

* Livonia Transmission Plant received $88 million to install flexible tooling to increase its production of a fuel-efficient, high performance 6-speed, rear-wheel drive transmission for the 2009 Ford F-150.

* Woodhaven Stamping Plant received $89 million for new dies and subassembly equipment to
stamp parts for the 2009 Ford F-150.

* Dearborn Stamping Plant received $31 million for new dies and subassembly equipment to stamp doors and hoods for the 2009 Ford F-150.

* Dearborn Truck Plant received $208 million to install additional tooling and equipment to build the 2009 Ford F-150. Additionally, the investment will be used to convert Ford's historic Glass Plant on the Rouge site into a training center for the launch of the all-new pickup.

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Your car’s muffler functions as a silencer for your engine. It reduces or changes the sound produced by the engine exhaust. Because mufflers are essential car part, you should check it regularly for maintenance. Here are some tips from Car Care Council for your muffler’s maintenance. You can also try to get quality GTO Borla Exhaust at your trusted online store for replacement.

- Have your vehicle’s exhaust system inspected periodically to keep your car safe. The muffler may not be individually replaceable due to the condition of other exhaust system components, or because the original exhaust system uses a unitized construction, where sections are welded together.

- Keep in mind that exhaust gas, especially carbon monoxide, can be deadly if it enters the interior of the car. The symptoms of an exhaust leak may include a louder than normal exhaust sound, the sound of exhaust coming from unusual places on your car, a “ticking” noise when accelerating, and the smell of exhaust. However, don’t rely on your sense of smell as a conclusive means of determining if there’s an exhaust leak.

- Carbon monoxide has no odor. If you suspect any problem with the exhaust system, have it inspected immediately by a professional technician. Another symptom of a potential exhaust leak is a failed emissions test. A leak not only lets exhaust gas out, it also allows oxygen to enter the exhaust stream, which can be detected during an emissions test. You will usually be required to make repairs before retesting, so have the leak checked by a professional technician.

The Washington Post has recently reported that as automakers are preparing to release results of their December sales, analyst are already saying that its going to be another slow month for Detroit automakers.

The December sales result for US is expected to play between 16.5 million and 16.8 million vehicles which are much lower than the 17.1 million vehicles from last December’s 2005 rate. Further reports shows that the likelihood for Toyota to grab the number 2 spot from Ford is also high. Ford sales are predicted to plunge between 13% and 17% while its rival Toyota is expected to gain about 12% increase in sales for its December sales.

GM’s sales for December 2006 on the other hand are predicted to dive by as much as 2% while Chrysler’s sales are also expected to fall by 2%.

Most of the Asian automakers have achieved significant increase in sales due mainly to the surging demand for smaller SUVs and cars. There are also reports from Volkswagen’s luxury Audi unit that shows a considerable increase of 34.6% (or approximately 90,116 sold cars) for their December 2006 US sales.

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After what some media reports are calling as the worst case of embargo breaking in the history of automotive journalism, official Lincoln MKR Concept images have (finally) been released by Ford.

By now everyone knows about the MKR's signature Lincoln design cues -- its double-wing grille, thin taillamps and dynamic beltline, all of which, we’re assured - will find their way on future production models.

As reported earlier, the four-door rear-wheel-drive sedan is powered by a 415 horsepower twin-turbocharged V6. The MKR is based on the Mustang's platform, much like Ford's Interceptor Concept. Autoblog has a great picture gallery of the MKR, check it out here .

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